Creative collection Meet illustrator and graphic designer, Karina Jambrak, who made her long-held dream come to life

ILLUSTRATOR KARINA JAMBRAK TOOK MATTERS AND MARKERS INTO HER OWN HANDS TO CHASE HER CREATIVE DREAMS

At the beginning of 2019, illustrator Karina Jambrak made a New Year’s resolution to pursue her love of drawing. “I thought I’d just take it and run with it, really give it a good crack,” says the Sydneybased creative, whose cheerful disposition is reflected in her colourful, hand-drawn designs.

While New Year’s resolutions are often quickly forgotten, Karina made the leap from working a conventional day job to illustrating full-time. “I was just ridden with anxiety,” the artist admits of the plan to launch her own business. Judging by her growing Instagram following and recent partnership with online store The Jungalow, she had no need to worry.

Karina has always been wired for creativity, entering colouring-in competitions as a child and completing a design degree as an adult. While studying at UNSW, she sold her first original canvas at Sydney’s popular Bondi Beach markets before graduating and launching her career, which included roles at fashion brands such as bohemian clothing label Tigerlily.

But after a series of unfortunate events in 2018, Karina decided to pave her own path.

“My husband Shaun was diagnosed with a heart problem, so he had to have surgery, and then while I was on maternity leave I was made redundant,” she says. “When that happened, we discussed what we wanted out of life. I just wanted to draw because that’s the only thing that makes me content.” So she took on a part-time job and invested more time in “her happy place”.

Fast-forward just over 12 months, Karina couldn’t be more fulfilled. Each day, she lives and breathes her dream job without having to step outside the family home she shares with Shaun and their two children, Ivy, five, and Beau, two.

Flooded with natural light, the studio is a heavenly retreat – and even when Ivy and Beau’s toys are playfully scattered across the floor of another room, her workspace remains pristine. “I like to create a little haven where I feel like I can get in the zone,” Karina says. “I can’t work in my pyjamas.” Her vibrant art prints are

“THERE’S A LOT OF FACETS OF RUNNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS, SO IT’S JUST A MASSIVE LEARNING CURVE FOR ME AT THE MOMENT” ~ KARINA

pleasing on the eye and soothing for the soul. “It’s the patterns in nature that I love,” explains Karina. “I feel like everything around us has evolved from nature and I love looking at the intricate details.”

She’s also eager to return to her roots in painting after a breathtaking visit to The Daintree in tropical north Queensland earlier this year that awakened a desire to tackle more of the Australian landscape in her art. With her creative sights set on the Northern Territory and Western Australia, it all comes down to one thing: “I just want to bring happiness to people’s homes; a sense of calm and bright colours.”

THIS PAGE: Karina in her Sydney home studio with a collection of her latest prints, which she describes as “full of rich colours and lots of patterns. I love landscapes, animals, palm trees and just lots of nature and bright colours.” OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: This ‘Daintree Canopy’ print was inspired by Bismarck palm trees in north Queensland; Karina’s studio wall showcases a diverse moodboard of tropical landscapes, zebras and travel souvenirs; the ‘Mekhi’ print was initially hand-drawn before being giclée printed in Australia on textured cotton rag card; refillable copic markers prevent waste in Karina’s creative process.

TOP LEFT: A blank page sits on her desk, waiting for a new jungle-inspired illustration. TOP RIGHT: An assortment of greenery, including devil’s ivy and potted succulents surrounds Karina. LEFT: The ‘Lilah’ leopard print was created by Karina for her collaboration with The Jungalow.